Life In The Apocalypse - By Kevin
by Keith465
Summary: I remember when my parents were still around. Fun, peaceful and comfortable. But that was 2 months ago. No more lies. No more family. This is the zombie apocalypse.
1. Life In The Apocalypse - Chapter 1

The Zombie Apocalypse - Chapter 1

I gave upon the empty cans and bottles littered on the ground. This is where the convenience store once stood. The military stripped all the stores of supplies, meaning i'm probably dead in a few days. All of Australia must be knee deep in zombies, bandits and God knows what else. My bag is half-full with ammo, beef jerky and water from the month of scavenging and looting I've been doing. But medicine is what i'm looking for, as a bite from a zombie could mean that I turn into one. I look in the distance and find an old house still standing. Might as well look through it, even though I know that its probably empty.

"Hello?," I yell. "Anybody home?"

No response. I slowly open the door with caution. As soon as I open the door, a scent of blood and alcohol hits my nose, a telltale sign that someone was killed here. With steps as quiet as a mouse, I amble towards the kitchen with my pistol in hand. It seems to take forever, but I eventually reach the dirty, blood-stained kitchen.

"What happened here?," I think to myself.

The cabinets are all left open and empty, presumably from the myriad of looters that shamble through the town. We all go after the one thing: food.

After 20 minutes of steady searching, all I found was a bottle of whisky and some matches. Getting drunk in the apocalypse is a bad idea so I'll leave the alcohol behind. However matches is a survivors blessing, providing fire, warmth and a quarter of the things you need to stay alive.

I leave the house and continue my way to Eastwood, a fairly decent spot to loot. The army hasn't touched that town yet so supplies can be found there. I know all of this because of my CV radio back at home, or what I call a home. A shack, made out of pallets and 2 by 4's is what I have to look forward to at the end of the day. 4:30. Good. Enough time for me to scavenge Eastwood and get back home.

-By Kevin


	2. The Crossing Of The City - Chapter 2

The rain beats down on the roof of my shack, making it hard for me to concentrate on what has happened in the past. My parents...sister...its because of them that i'm still alive to this day. A tear drops on the old photo I have in my hands. Within a few seconds, i'm sobbing and whimpering, wishing that I could see them one last time...

I wake up and slowly prop myself up on one elbow. Theres enough light in the room to allow me to see my bag and knife, two things i'll be needing for the journey ahead of me. After I eat and get changed, I kiss my home goodbye, as I won't be coming back. The city is where the military is stationed and all the survivors flock to in order to stay safe. For me, that's a blessing. Since I haven't been doing very well here, a long trip to the city couldn't be worse. In a few days I'll probably be dead anyway.

The buildings around me have been demolished into ruins, thanks to the help of the army. Although its only been a month, nature seems to be reclaiming its place, flooding plants and shrubs into the crevices of the footpaths. This is not the case in the city. Or so they tell me.

_Bang!_

I instantly turn my head towards the gunshot in the distance.

_Bang! Bang!_

The sound seems to be getting closer. I look in the distance, only to find a girl being chased by a horde of zombies. My hand instinctively reaches for my pistol and prepares itself. I shoot all 12 zombies behind the girl, with my gunshots still echoing in the distance.

"I'm friendly!," she yells."I'm friendly!"

"What are you doing here_?," _I say with my gun pointed at her.

"Look, I'm sorry I got in your way," she replies."I'm just looking for food."

"There's no food around here?," I ask, putting down the gun.

"No...nothing."

I reach in my bag and throw her some granola bars.

"Where did you get this?," she questions.

"Um...Eastwood...," I mumble.

"Do you mind taking me there?," she says.

"...fine...lets go," I sigh.

-By Kevin


	3. Meeting Clara - Chapter 3

Clara Wade was the name of the girl I saved. Long black hair, glistening eyes and a taste for companionship. All I see of her is another mouth to feed. I agreed that I would escort her to Eastwood, since I have weapons, food and supplies.

"So, whats your name?," Clara asks.

"Kevin," I reply.

"Have you been alone for the past month?," she yelps.

"Uh...yeah...," I stagger.

The truth was that my parents and sister was still alive back then. I saw them get shot point blank in the head by bandits, the worst thing you could do to your son. Just thinking about that sends tears to my eyes. Clara notices the suspicious amount of moisture in my eyes that I'm trying to hold back.

"Kevin?," she asks softly."Whats wrong?"

"Nothing...j-just...dust..," I lie.

We continue to walk with great effort to Eastwood, with hopes held up high that the town wouldn't have been bombarded with bombs and shells by the military. Her hope anyway. Every now and then she talks about how she wants to be free and live in a safe area where we can put down our flick knives and rifles. Maybe the city fulfills that dream. At least it keeps out hungry raiders with their electrified fence.

The suns almost gone down so Clara and I camp on a seemingly high rooftop surrounded by green and grey. The moonlight there makes Clara look even more gorgeous, so she usually catches me staring at her.

"Kevin?," Clara says.

"Yes Clara?," I reply.

"How did you survive during the cold winter?," she curiously asks.

"Well...," I admit. "My sister took care of me since...my p-parents...died."

"Oh...I'm...so sorry about that," she says.

"My sister taught me how to survive."She taught me how to use a gun." It was Winter when she d-died..so I had to hunt, forage and loot for food."

"What umm...happened to her?," Clara asks.

"Pretty much what happens to everyone," I stutter. "What about you?"

"I was just lucky," she giggles. "All of the food I had was in a closest that lasted for weeks." But eventually it ran out, so I had to look for food in Epping." And that was were I met you."

I finish the conversation with a small laugh.

"Lets try and get some sleep," I chuckle.

"Goodnight, Kevin," she says.

"Goodnight Clara," I say.


	4. Catching Up - Chapter 4

I lay there, on the mattress with my eyes half-open thinking thoroughly thinking about my plans for the future. The city is where I'm destined to be but...Clara isn't. For the first time in weeks, I actually want to stay with Clara, as if she's my companion or friend. Because losing another loved one hurts as bad as a bite. I look over to Clara, sleeping like an angel snuggled in blankets.

"She's so beautiful...," I think to myself. "I just wish I didn't have to leave you.."

I swing my aching legs off the mattress and slowly walk over to my bag to keep track of all the items I have left. 1 granola bar, matches, CV radio, 2 bottles of water, a flashlight, knife and 12 bullets remaining. Its enough to get me to the city, but not enough for me and Clara to share. I think back to when I first met her, an annoyance trying to pry into my past life and just another mouth to feed. I didn't think like that until I found out that she has had a dark history with her parents too. _"They just left and never said goodbye."_ Her story rings in my head. Its like torture, seeing the one who fed you turn into a ravenous, flesh-eating monster. Clara, parents... they could all be gone in the blink of an eye.

Eastwood's right around the corner, which means our journey is nearing the end. But before she goes, I want to tell her something.

"Clara?," I nervously ask.

"Yeah?," she says in a soothing tone.

"I just..I wanted to say that I...that I lo-

My sentence was cut off by the pure destruction of Eastwood. What used to be a supply plentiful town has now been turned into ashes, scattered bricks and ruins, no doubt the work of the army. The look on Clara's face is horrified, like someone shot her parents. We stand there for what seems to be 10 minutes, taking in the charcoal rich land and the smell of fresh sulfur. There are dead skeletons, presumably from the zombies, scattered everywhere along with shells, broken glass and even the occasional dead survivor.

"Well...," I say, breaking the silence. "I...I h-hope you find whatever it is your're looking for here. I've really enjoyed the journey we've had. I'll see you later."

Clara looks at me sadly while I walk away into nowhere. I look back one last time at the angelic girl, only to see that shes following me. A small smile appears on my face, knowing that Clara is now my companion.

"To the city?," she says.

"To the city," I answer.


	5. Kevin's Affection - Chapter 5

It was yesterday when it happened. Eastwood, Clara's birthplace, has been turned into a pile of ashes. Just another reminder that the army can destroy half the nations population in a second. Yet Clara and I continue venturing to the city only for protection. Low supplies, out of our minds on a suicide mission. This is the closest I've come to meeting with death. I look back to the good old days, when my sister was still around. "Stay alive...for me," was her final words before she passed away. So much pressure to stay living, not only for my sister but for Clara too. While we were walking to Eastwood, she told me that her biggest fear was being left alone. No-one to talk to, no shoulder to cry on...my fear exactly.

As we venture closer to the city, zombies become more common, forcing us to walk on the rooftops of old, abandoned buildings. It was at this point where we could see only the highest buildings of the city. Those towers are usually used for food storage, since raiders would usually have to climb stairs before getting caught. If you steal an apple or smuggle drugs then the form of punishment is execution, being hanged or shot in town square. Since only people over 18 get executed, Clara and I are safe. For now.

"Kevin," Clara says in the same soothing tone.

"Yes, Clara?," I mimic.

"What did you want to tell me?," she says. "Right before we saw Eastwood."

"Well...," I nervously stutter. "I wanted to say that I lo...care for you."

"Really?," Clara giggles as she blushes.

"Umm...yeah," I say.

I can tell that I'm blushing too, because my face is hot as hell. Beautiful eyes, cute button nose and curves in all the right places. It makes it even harder to tell her that I...that I love her.

The first time I ever truly fell in love was this one, with a girl called Clara Wade. She followed me here and will probably follow me to the ends of the earth. We're alike, me and her. Parents both disappeared, no-one to take care of us...it seems like more than a mere coincidence that we both met. But what bothers me is about what Clara thinks of me. What if she doesn't love me back? Am I going to quickly? For once this is something that a book can't teach me.

"I love you..." "I love you ..." I play out the scene in my head. Maybe when we get to the city I'll tell her. Maybe when she gets to know me better.

-Kevin


	6. Settling In - Chapter 6

With the help of Clara, the journey here didn't seem too long. In fact, I'm kind of sad now that our journey has been put to an end. After all the adventure, sadness and romance we've put up with, this is the payoff that we accomplished. And of course, it's worth it. The walls here are even bigger than I expected, and with the soldiers surrounding the wall, it seems almost impossible to sneak in. That is one of the reasons why we came here. Huge walls, impenetrable defenses...it seems like a survivors dream. However, there are some cons to this too, as you would have to do your part in getting food for the civilization. Not only the soldiers go on supply runs. Locals brave enough to go out into the outside world will often collect food. Also, children like us can't have any forms of weapons. If you get caught carrying guns, blunts or blades then you get kicked out, I overheard. Yes, there is an everlasting line that we have to wait for before we can get into the city. Which is why Clara and I have been talking about our plan for the future. Get an apartment, hide our weapons are some things that she brought up. "We're gonna have to conceal our weapons," Clara said. The laws here are airtight, meaning that they probably do strip searches on everyone before we can enter the grey metropolis. Just makes me wonder why the government doesn't allow weapons there. We reach the front of line, only to be encountered by an officer.

"Aren't you kids a little too young to be here?," the officer asks. "Where are your parents?"

"Our parents are inside," Clara lies. "We were just outside to get something for them."

The officer looks at us suspiciously as he gives us our ID cards. Luckily, he didn't notice the gun-shaped lump hidden in our pockets. We walk quickly to the quarantine area.

"Well played," I laugh.

"Thanks," Clara laughs back.

We get handed a pamphlet and some weird looking coins by the supervisor. He says that we're going to need it to buy things from the myriad of markets lined against the buildings. Its used as currency to pay for basically everything. 308 is the number of the room that we're going to be living in for the rest of our lives. I'm not particularly excited about that, but I'm excited that I can spend what's left of my life, gazing at Clara. After a few strolls around the buildings, we decided to head on up to our apartment and see how nice our room will be.

"Wow," Clara gazes. "Its so clean."

"And spacious," I add.

The rooms spacious and clean, kinda like my old room. After all that crap we've been through, freezing outside in the rain, sleeping with a gun under our pillows, this seems too good to be true. I lay my gear down on the wooden table to count the rest of the stuff that I have left. 2 cans of beans, 1 ammo magazine, CV radio, a bottle of water, a blanket, matches, knife, 9mm handgun and a picture of my parents. Its amazing to see that this stuff keep both me and Clara alive for a week. Well, I have been giving most of my ration to Clara because I want her to stay happy. But none of this matters now, since we'll be getting free supplies from the government. If only my parents saw this, saw what I have achieved, then I would be truly happy.

"What do we do now,?" Clara asks happily.

"I think I'm gonna take a nap," I say.

"What do I do?," she replies.

"I don't know," I yawn. "Tour the city, take a shower, all sorts," I say as I shut my room door.

I change into my leisure clothes and dive into my bed. "Mmmm, I unconsciously say. I know its just a normal bed, but I haven't had this for 2 months that I forgot what it felt like. Warm, comfortable and warm. Brings up an old memory I forgot. A memory about my parents kissing me into bed. "I miss you," I cry as I slowly drift off into sleep.

I wake to the sounds of Clara, repeatedly saying a phrase.

"I want you to know that I...that I love you," she mumbles to herself. It can't be...is she talking about me? I get up and peek through the crack of my bedroom door to see Clara, in the middle of a room, repeating a phrase.

"Kevin, I really enjoyed the journey we've had but I think th-that I...that I...love-"

"You love what?," I laugh as I open the door.

"Kevin!," Clara blushes. "Its..uhh..Its not what it looks like.."

"Clara," I slowly say. "What do you really feel about me?"

"Kevin, I...I lo...I lo-"

"You love me?," I interrupt.

"Yeah..," Clara says as she blushes.

"Well guess what?," I cheerfully say as I hug her. "I love you too."


	7. Two Blushes - Chapter 7

I wake to the sounds of Clara, repeatedly saying a phrase.

"I want you to know that I...that I love you," she mumbles to herself. It can't be...is she talking about me? I get up and peek through the crack of my bedroom door to see Clara, in the middle of a room, repeating a phrase

"Kevin, I really enjoyed the journey we've had but I think th-that I...that I...love-"

"You love what," I laugh as I open the door.

"Kevin!," Clara blushes. "Its..uhh..Its not what it looks like.."

"Clara," I slowly say. "What do you really feel about me?"

"Kevin, I...I lo...I lo-"

"You love me?," I interrupt.

"Yeah..," Clara says as she blushes.

"Well guess what?," I cheerfully say as I hug her. "I love you too."

She hugs me even tighter and so do I. At this point we're both blushing like crazy. "I did it," I think to myself. "I told Clara that I love her." The hug lasts for a good minute before she lets go and gazes into my eyes.

"I wanted to tell you that ever since I met you," she whispers.

"Really?," I ask smiling.

"Really," she smiles back.

We finally let go of each other and gaze into each others eyes.

"We should get some sleep," I say, breaking the silence.

"Alright, handsome," she replies.

Out here, I don't even feel the cold. I just feel free, like all of my worries float into the dark sky. The view out here is unbelievable, as you can see most of the buildings out here. The light from the stars above me and the lanterns below me only enhance the view of the city. Oh, how I wish my parents were here to see this...they would usually teach me about all the names of the stars in Australia. But that was 2 months ago. Right now, my biggest priority is keeping Clara and I safe. Anyway, its what my sister wanted, and so would my parents. If this balcony was good for something, it would be good for a view of the city. That and to daydream about what has happened in the past. But the more I learn here, the more I forget there so recapping is a good idea. I look at the photo in my hands. I don't recall putting this in my bag when I left my house. However, I don't regret taking it with me along the journey Clara and I had. Clara knows that I often take a minute or two to stare at this picture. An old, faded photograph of me and my parents at Mother's day. I'm sure she does the same but with no picture. She has had a terrible history with her parents.

"Kevin?," a feminine voice says behind me.

I turn around to see Clara, still beautiful as always.

"Oh, hey Clara," I say.

She walks over and sits on the balcony fence next to me.

"Man, what a view," Clara inhales.

"I know right?," I reply.

"Clara," I gently purr.

"Yes, Kevin?," Clara lovingly says back.

"We are together now, right?," I curiously ask.

"Of course we are," Clara confidently says. "Why do you think I was rehearsing to myself while you were sleeping?"

"I don't know...," I say. "Problems?"

"No, Kevin," Clara giggles. "I was rehearsing because I was gonna tell you that I love you. But then some cutie stepped in."

She finishes her sentence by kissing me on the cheek.

"I love you," I remark.

"I love you too," Clara repeats.


	8. Crying In The Wardrobe - Chapter 8

I can't think about anything other than the angel sleeping in my arms. Her face touching my chest, her belly bobbing up and down. I already took a nap earlier throughout the day so I can't sleep now. Is it Thursday? No, its definitely Friday. Time sure does fly when someone tells you that she loves you. For the past few days, Clara and I have been hiding in our room, enjoying each others company. I'll go out when we start running out of canned tuna. I brush Clara's black hair over her ear, something that I've always wanted to do.

"Enjoying yourself Kevin?," Clara snickers as she opens her eyes.

I respond by going limp and closing my eyes.

"Don't play sleep on me," Clara giggles.

"When were you awake?," I laugh as I open my eyes.

"Ever since I cuddled with you," Clara seductively purrs.

I flash a smile at Clara and she does the same, a sign of saying "I love you" to your significant other. Well, we did confess our love for each other yesterday.

"So, gorgeous," I gently whisper. "When did you start loving me?"

"I'd love to tell you, gorgeous," she happily repeats. "The truth was that I loved you the very day that we met. Back at Epping as I recall."

"Oh?"

"The way that you spoke to me, the sense of happiness that I got when I was around you...it was clear that we we're meant to be with each other. But what I'd like to know is when you started to love me," Clara giggles.

"Well, when I first met you I thought that you were nothing but an annoyance. But later on, I started to see your cute personality and sexy body. I was actually devastated that you were leaving to Eastwood. And as you can see, things transitioned from there," I finish.

Clara looks at me for a slight second before she rams her mouth into mine, the first ever kiss that we've had. Her mouth feels like the smoothest velvet I've ever felt. I was about to pull away in disgust, but somehow it feels very comforting, like my mother before she kisses me goodnight. We pull away from the lack of oxygen that we were experiencing.

"Mmmm...your mouth tastes like mint...," she prowls.

"T-thank y-you?," I say dreamily as I blush.

We were interrupted by the loud gunshot near the apartment.

"What was that,?" Clara questions.

"We should go check it out," I respond.

I quickly scramble to my feet and reach in my bag, pulling out a combat knife. "Just as a precaution," I think. We walk carefully over to room 308, the apartment next to ours.

We open the door.

Blood, alcohol and water is what we're introduced to as I open the door. Blood, in the shape of a person, lies on the floor of the kitchen with knives and shells surrounding it. The stench of sulfur, blood and cologne almost makes me throw up. Well, Clara did vomit in the corner. I walk towards the crime scene, with bits of glass cracking beneath my feet while Clara pukes in the corner. And before you know it, I hear whimpering in the wardrobe next to the old bed. With my knife in hand, I cautiously walk towards the wardrobe and open it.

"No!," a little girl cries in the wardrobe. "You need to get out of here!"

Clara walks up to me and gawks at the sight of a little girl, crying in the wardrobe.

"Hey there kid," Clara says in a motherly-like tone. "Are you feeling alright?"

"The monsters...they ate my parents...," the little girl whimpers. "Please get out before they get you too!"

I turn around to see a zombie as it pounces on to me, sending me head first onto the floor. I ram the side of my arm on its neck as I reach for my knife. The knife must have been on the floor, due to the sheer innocence of the crying infant.

"Clara...," I grunt as the zombie tries to bite me. 'The knife..."

The zombie suddenly ceases to exist from the blade piercing its skull. Clara managed to stab it before I fell prey to it. I push the zombie off my chest and on the floor as I get up. Blood, from the zombie drips off my soaking jacket. We all stare at the zombie before the kid starts crying again.

"Ssshhh...," Clara says as she hugs the child. "Everything's okay..."

"The m-monster...," the girl sobs."..i-it tried to-"

"Its okay, its okay...its dead now, see?," Clara says as she points to the zombie.

"Come on," I say. "We should talk in our apartment."

**A/N: Hey guys. Just to let you know that I will be uploading slower because of studies that I'm doing. If you like this series, please leave a review, it really helps me out. If you want me to do another series please let me know with private messaging. Thank you and I'll be uploading Chapter 9 soon! :P**

**-Kevin**


	9. City Exploring - Chapter 9

Elizabeth Crest was all the information that the little girl told me and Clara. We decided to take care of her and take her to the nearby orphanage. She gave me hints that told me that her parents are dead. But since its 9:00pm, we fed her and tucked her into bed. My bed, to be precise since I'll be sleeping with Clara for the rest of my life.

"You think that Elise (Elizabeth)will be okay?," Clara asks.

"She'll be okay," I tiredly say. "I love how you took care of her and gave her a bath."

"Thanks," she giggles. "I had some experience with my little brother."

"Hmm..goodnight Clara," I prowl.

"Goodnight Kevin," Clara replies. "I love you."

I wake up seeking Clara's warmth but only the cold blankets, spread out through the bed. She must have gone to feed Elise, like a real mother. I have been thinking about her as a good mother, but I don't know what she'll think about having children. To be honest, I really don't need 2 crying mouths to constantly feed, especially in the apocalypse. Survival of the fittest after all. I get off the bed and walk to the living room. Clara and Elise are at the table, discussing something.

"Good morning Kev," Clara says.

"Good morning," I reply back.

"Clara and I were just discussing about how we're gonna go to the orphanage together," Elizabeth says with a smile. "Do you want to join us?"

"Actually, I might go and explore the city," I say gently.

"Are you sure you can go by yourself?,' Clara questions.

"Yeah, of course," I say as I open the front door.

This is one of my favorite places to be in the city. "The Siam Bar" is the first restaurant/bar that we came to after arriving in the city. And its the first place that I'll be going today. Its a small bar, with relatively few customers and nice lanterns to brighten up the place. With minuscule windows spaced evenly across the table-lined walls, this seems like a very homely bar. However, we do get looked suspiciously at since we're only children.

"Would you like a drink?," the waiter asks kindly.

"Umm..sure some lemonade would do," I reply nervously.

"I never seen you around here before," the waiter says. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah, me and my friend just came yesterday," I answer.

"Oh, pardon me," the waiter says. "I'm Ivan, manager of The Siam Bar."

"I'm Kevin Mei, nice to meet you," I say as I extend an arm for a handshake.

"You seem awfully young to be strolling around by yourself," Ivan says.

"Two young kids is better than one," I mumble.

"I know what you're talking about," Ivan grins.

I eat my lunch while yapping away with Ivan. We talk about all sorts of stuff such as backstories, friends and tales for the past hour or so. I'm guessing that it was enough time for Clara to take Elise to the orphanage.

"I thought I would see you here," Clara laughs as the front door shuts behind her.

"Oh, hey Clara," I yelp.

"Who's this?," Clara questions sweetly.

"This is Ivan, the manager of the bar," I reply.

"Clara, was it?," Ivan says. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Ivan," Clara greets.

"So...what are you doing here?," I ask softly.

"Well, "Clara starts. "I sent Elise on her way so I was wondering if we could go home."

"Yeah sure, why not."

I get off my chair and wave goodbye to Ivan. We open the door onto the streets, only to hear a loud riot.

"What the hell is going on?," I nervously say.

"Someone must be getting hanged in the Town Square," Clara snaps.

The security guards wielding riot shields are the only thing that's separating the crowd and the hanging of a little girl. Desperate, urgent and hopeless is the looks on the civilians as they try to save the child from execution. But as I look closer, deeper into the little girl's face I start to realize.

No...i-it can't be...the girl who's getting hanged is...

...Elizabeth?


	10. Lies - Chapter 10

"RUN!," Clara yells.

_Bang!_

The sound of a rifle being fired forces be to run even faster, with cobwebs and sticks hitting my face. We run faster to nowhere, deeper into the heart of the city. The guards have been chasing and firing at us ever since we rescued Elise from the hanging. Guards. Friends. This is the closest I've gotten to meeting with death.

"Quickly, In here!," Clara yells as she opens a basement door.

We scramble like mice into the damp, dark cellar. The light doesn't last for long as Clara quickly slams the door, stopping the guards from getting us. I turn on my flashlight. We all pant and catch our breath from the everlasting sprint. From what I can hear, the guards have probably given up since they stopped shooting. Good. Enough time to interrogate Elise about why she was getting hanged.

"Elise...," I grunt. "Why..Why were you-"

"They're feeding us crap," Elise snaps. "They're feeding us h-human meat."

"What?!," Clara and I yell in unison.

"I was at the orphanage...I started to poke around the kitchen..," Elise admits. "That was when I found out. What did you think happens to all those dead executed bodies?"

I run to the toilet to regurgitate what's left of my lunch, knowing full well that I ate human meat. As I bend over and vomit, I think about the lies that the city has told me. The lies that everyone told me about this "civilized" settlement. The sadness in my heart turns into anger, wanting to kill the man who did this. The man who fed innocent souls their own kind. I finish throwing up and stumble on two feet. My stomach feels like burning acid which means that I probably can't eat for a few weeks. Why would I eat. They're only feeding us our own kind. As I amble towards the door, to Clara and Elise, the cellar door suddenly explodes, leaving a cocktail of debris, smoke and glass into the air. I instinctively hide in the bathroom, leaving the door ajar so I can peek through it. But the smoke in the room limits my vision to what seems like 4 silhouetted figures leaving the room. "No!," I think. "Clara!" The patrol officers must have breached the door to...to...execute them.


	11. The Beginning Of The End - Chapter 11

"There's a camp in the south-west of Town Square. The only bell that place rings is how many dead, headless criminals get sent there. We try to honor the deeds that those lives did for us. Yet those deeds sent them in the camp, to get sliced up and served on our plate."

"What happened?," Ivan sadly says.

"They took Clara...she's gone, Ivan," I whimper.

"What do you need?," Ivan soothingly asks.

"A rifle," I say hopelessly. "You can't even get them here."

"Don't worry," Ivan says. "I know how."

"Ha, wish me luck," I say as I open the door.

**1 Hour Later...**

Silenced rifle, 2 handguns, 3 frags and 1 ghille suit. Even with this gear, I'm hopeless since there are hundreds of guards here. On top of a hill, right next to the facility, lays a child overlooking how to get in. That child is me, and in a few minutes, Clara's going to die. But only if I save her, or die trying to. "For Clara," I think.

I lay quietly in the bushes, with my silenced rifle in hand. Any guard who sees me will have the honor of a bullet through their flesh. But here, killing is not an option. One guard dies, and the others begin to catch on. "No killing," I think to myself. When their backs are turned, I quietly sneak over to a nearby bush and blend in, like a chameleon. Except that chameleon is getting hunted by hundreds of soldiers. Same process, when their backs are turned, I run. Luckily no-one saw me, but the real challenge lays inside the building, where there is little cover, and no greens to blend in to. I quickly rip off my ghille suit and hide it before opening the door. The back door, to be precise. To the prison cells. "No!," I choke. I look in the prison cells to see that its empty. My confusion and anger starts to cool as I notice 2 dead guards on the ground, stripped of their weapons. In the distance, I hear screaming and gunshots. Clara? No, it can't be. I walk over to the heart of the building where I see even more dead bodies. This operation was even easier than I expected.

"What took you so long?," a familiar voice echoes behind me.

I quickly turn around to see Clara, holding a key.

"Clara!," I yell as I throw my arms around her. "I...I m-missed you."

Still sobbing, I touch her face and ram my mouth into hers.

"Aaaww, I missed you too," Clara replies happily. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

"Right behind you."

We backtrack and run over to where I came in, through the prison cell door. But we halt and gasp at the sight of the government, blocking the back door surrounded by troops.

"You've been feeding us human flesh," I say angrily while pointing my rifle at him.

"Look kid," he says. "Let me tell you the truth. Outside, we got zombies that do nothin' but eat flesh. If they do it why can't you do it?"

"Because we're living people!," Clara yells. "Actual living people!"

"You came here for a new life, and I gave you one," the government says. "When people like you do nothing to help our society, you don't deserve real food."

_Bang! Bang! Boom!_

The group of soldiers get shot in an instant, with a cloud of smoke trailing behind them.

"Ivan," Clara and I gladly say.

"Well thought out plan," the government mocks. "But not well enough."

He pulls out what looks like a C4 detonator.

"No!," I yell as I throw myself to the detonator.

The impact from my torso hitting the controller sends it sliding 2 meters away from us. I quickly get up, only to get rammed by my rifle from the government.

"Goodbye, Kevn Mei," he says as he applies pressure to the trigger.

_Boom!_

I close my eyes, waiting for the job to be done. But instead, I'm greeted to a mess of blood and water, presumably from the government. Clara's right arm, still remaining stiff, from the person she just killed. We stand there, shocked from what had just happened. We killed the leader...of the city. I get up and hug Clara, with my clothes dripping with the governments blood.

"Kevin..," Clara sobs. "I'm..I'm so sorry. I-I knew that this was your dream...but..bu-"

I interrupt her by kissing her for a good minute, calming her down from the killing that we have done.

"I see that you two have killed him," Ivan says as he walks up to us, holding a sniper rifle.

"Ivan...thanks for covering us," I say quietly. "I-I owe you."

"No worries."

We get in the car that Ivan brought. Still traumatized from the experience, we drive away in silence. "I did it...," I think. "I actually did it." I look over to Clara, sleeping peacefully with her hand on her cheek. She seems so tired, and so lonely. But what bothers me most is what will happen to the rest of the city. With the leader missing, how will we explain this to everyone else? The lives of thousands of families put at risk from two children killing the government. This was my dream. This was my goal. To live peacefully in a safe society with Clara. Yet the future for me seems like going back to the dark ages, back to Epping. Maybe, maybe not...


	12. Leaving Our Ways - Chapter 12

Its not long before someone notices that we killed the government. And when that time comes, Clara and I will probably have gone off to Epping, to my shack. I feel bad, for having to leave this place. Here, I was actually enjoying myself, gazing at the marvelous buildings that have been built decades ago. I knew it was too good to be true, to find happiness and love in the apocalypse. That's not to say that I don't enjoy killing zombies. When all of your anger builds up from all the stress that you've been through, taking out zombies is my outlet. I'm sure Clara feels the same way. We are very alike, after all. I pack my bags with whatever I can find in the cabinets. Clothes, food, and weapons. My bag feels like nothing compared to when I was alone. Probably because its been so long since I actually gathered resources. Out there, in the wasteland you have to scrounge up whatever you can find. Some days I got eat and some days I didn't. Some days I let food pass right in front of me. But here, with all the luxuries that we've been given...I somehow forgot how to survive.

"Whats this?," I mumble quietly to myself.

I pick up a shiny, golden ring, hidden in Clara's bag. There's tiny letters inscribed in it saying _Clara and Kevin. _

I can't help but smile at the thought of her wearing this. She must have used our starting money to buy this, the money that the officials passed on to us.

"Do you like it?," Clara purrs as she enters the room.

"Clara, I love it," I yelp.

"I got it the first day we got here," Clara announces. "Sort of an anniversary gift, you know?"

Clara walks up to me and passionately kisses me.

"Sigh, but now we have to go," I say as I break off from the kiss.

"Look on the bright side," Clara giggles. "At least we get to be with each other."

"Yeah...yeah you're right," I admit. "Come on, let's go.

We take our bags and exit the apartment with only one goal in sight: to get out of the city and safely return to our home. Seems impossible since there are millions of angry civilians trying to kill us. Its the reason why I'm wearing such baggy clothes and a scarf. As we walk upon the concrete paths, I glance at everyone's face. Anger, betrayal and vengeful is what I'm seeing out of the passing people. Its a reason why I should shoot myself here. Clara notices the fear on my face.

"Hey, don't worry," Clara soothingly says. "You did the right thing."

"Yeah, but I-"

"Sssshhh...just keep walking," Clara quietly says.

I reluctantly obey as I hold her hand. The warmth calms me down from the amount of stress that I've been through. I walk quickly, only to look at the faces of all the inhabitant's sons and brothers I've killed. I know that that it was me that did the job, because it was my switchblade that struck their throat. Even if they were bad, I can't imagine how many souls that I've killed. For sure, the raider at Epping was my first kill. I couldn't sleep for a week after that experience. And I can't now, due to the government's death.  
_"Goodbye, Kevin Mei," _was his last words before Clara pulled the trigger on him. To suddenly cease out of existence, its something that I would experience if it meant saving my loved ones.

I conceal my handgun as we give the officer our ID cards.

"Clara Wade and Kevin Mei?," he suspiciously says. "No...it can't be..."

"Kevin, run on my mark," Clara whispers to me. "1...2...3...mark."


	13. Dead Wounded - Chapter 13

I run and jump over the urban wasteland with Clara running by me. The guards don't seem to be running out of ammo, as I can see the bullets whizzing to my left and right. They must have found out that we killed the government.

_Bang!_

A bullet hits my torso, knocking me on the ground. The pain is unbearable and I don't think that I can run again.

"Aaaaahhh!," I yell.

"No!," Clara shouts as she picks me up.

She drags me over to a nearby demolished house to patch up my wound, with blood gushing out of my body and on the concrete.

"Ooww...," I unconsciously say. "My...my stomach...hurts.."

"Don't move or talk," Clara quickly snaps. "I'm...I'm gonna...ummm."

"The...medicine...in bag," I moan.

Clara swiftly pulls out some bandages from my bag and wraps it around my wound. At this point, everything is blurry and I can barely hear the shots being fired at us. Before I know it, a needle jabs my left side that eases the pain from the gunshot. I feel like I'm going to go unconscious.

"Clara...no...," I whimper as I slowly drift off in a numb state.


	14. Another Trip - Chapter 14

I wake up to the sounds of shots being fired outside the ruined, small house. My left side is still aching from the bullet that the guards fired, so walking would only re-open my wound. The only thing for me to do here is to lie down hopelessly and stare at the wall. All I can think about is the pain on stomach. My life is hanging by a thread, unless Clara comes and gives me the medicine.

"Clara...," I grunt. "C-Clara?..."

My calls for help get silenced by the war-zone that's happening outside. Screaming, bullets being fired and explosions are what Clara must be defending me from. That and the guards that are trying to take our heads off. But here, I feel so useless, like a toddler calling for food. Painful, immobilized and tired...maybe I should go back to sleep...

"Good morning, sleepyhead," a voice giggles.

'C-Clara?," I tiredly whimper.

"I gave you some medicine, so you should be feeling better," Clara says before she plants a kiss on my head.

"W-what time is it?," I moan.

"8:00pm," Clara replies. "The guards have probably fled. Assholes."

"Ha-ha, thanks," I say. "I should probably get up..."

"Are you sure you can walk?," Clara asks. "I..I gave you the medicine only 30 minutes ago and-"

"Clara," I interrupt. "I'm fine, don't worry."

She looks at me with an anxious expression as I stumble outside, to see if they've gone. All is silent on the field, no guards in sight. They must have retreated to stock up on ammo. I walk up to a dead guard, surrounded by a pool of blood with a note in his bag.

"What's this?," I stutter as I grab and open the note.

_Bounty Notice: Kevin Mei / Clara Wade _

_To all lawful bounty hunters in Town Square, let it be known that the death of these 2 criminals will be given 500 dollars. Proof of execution will be the heads and reward will not be paid if proof isn't brought back. Targets are considered extremely sneaky and dangerous. These killers will die for their crimes. _

Unbelievable. All the rumors going around about how nice the city is...lies. It filled my head with dreams, to live in a safe environment. To be a kid for once. Alas, I knew it was to good to be true. Hopefully my shack is still intact, and not looted by hungry scavengers. I don't even think that it'll fit the two of us, since my head almost touches the roof. Going back there with Clara almost seems embarrassing, with all the tin cans and rubbish in there.

"So,"Clara says. "Umm...what do we do now?"

"We'll have to head back to my old home," I reply sadly.

"Great, just the two of us, alone," Clara continues.

"No Clara, its not great. I hated that home. Its a small hut made out of pallets and wood, so it won't fit the two of us."

"You...you were living there for a month?," Clara sympathetically says.

"Yeah...," I say as I hang my head.

We pause for a minute before answering.

"Maybe you can come to my place," Clara suggests.

"Is it fenced and barricaded?", I answer with a glimmer of hope.

"Yeah," Clara says in the same tone. "While I was in there, no zombies every got in!"

"Where is this place?," I question excitedly.

"Not far from here," Clara says.

"Hmmm," I mumble. "They'll be coming back for us. If its not far, then we should move before the hunters see us."

I show her the piece of paper that I read earlier.

"But..but your wound-"

"Umm..it'll heal on the way," I nervously say. "What could go wrong?"

"We can't risk it..," Clara says. "I-I don't have any more medicine. So if you're wound re-opens...then..."

"You don't have any penicillin?," I ask suspiciously.

"No, not any," she replies dramatically.

At this moment you can hear a pin drop. I sulk at the fact that I can't go. Not only does this mean that the hunters are going to kick down the door at any moment, but it also means that we're going to have to stay here for a couple of weeks before my wound heals. This house is mostly rubble and bricks at the front. 2 walls that look like they're going to fall surround the left and back of the ruin. Its only good is getting us killed, either from freezing to death or getting sniped from miles away. As I l examine the house's vulnerability, I notice a faint glint coming out of Clara's bag. Presumably the ring that she bought from the city. I amble over to it to look back on it. But instead the item I pull out of the bag is a bottle of penicillin.

"You lied to me," I angrily sneer. "Why?"

"I was trying to keep you out of danger," Clara says. "I lied because I'm afraid that you might die out there!"

"I might die here," I snap. "By a bullet from those guards."

"Kevin...I love you so much that I don't want you to push yourself. I love you so much that I want you to stay and lie down, even if it means that I die," Clara soothingly says.

"You...you lied to protect me?," I unbelievably say.

"Yes, I did," Clara replies quietly.

...

"We're going," I firmly say.

"Sigh...lead the way," Clara hesitates.


	15. Safe Haven - Chapter 15

Clara Wade. The girl who tried to save my life. Or at least what I heard. "Kevin...I love you so much that I don't want you to push yourself. I love you so much that I want you to stay and lie down, even if it means that I die," Clara's speech rings in my head. Yet I ignore Clara's words, and journey across 10 kilometers of land covered by shrub, zombies and hunters. Now that I remember how much it hurts, I regret coming here.

"I...I need a break," I sheepishly say.

"Sure," Clara says in the same tone.

We both sit down on a fallen log next to the gas station. Awkward indeed, but just enough time for me to sterilize my bloody wound. I can't help but screech at the feeling of disinfectant on my coin-sized wound. At the corner of my eye, I see Clara holding some medicine.

"Here, let me help," Clara insists.

My calls of agony get silenced by her lips touching mine. While that distracts me, I feel some bandages overlapping my wound. As we break off from the kiss, I look down to see my wound, perfectly nested in a cocoon of gauze.

"Thank you, sweetie," I gladly say.

"No problem, sweetie," Clara happily mimics.

"I'm sorry about the argument we had last night," I lovingly say. "I-I-It was real stupid of me to-"

"Its not your fault Kevin," Clara cutely purrs. "It was mine. But lets just put all of that behind us."

"Agreed," I say.

I slowly get up and walk towards our destination, just a stone's throw away from here. And as I walk, I think about how it is at Clara's home. A typical house doesn't serve much of a base if you ask me. Large open windows, vulnerable doors and multiple entrances. And out of the ten million houses in Australia, this house will be the same. If it was up to me, I would steer clear of houses. But Clara's happiness definitely comes before that. I walk up the stairs to the house, on the verge of fatigue. The moon provides enough light to let me see heavily barricaded windows and doors. Perhaps she was right on coming here.

"Well...," Clara giggles. "What do you think?"

"Its amazing," I tiredly say. "But how do you get in?"

"Up here," Clara says as she gestures to the ladder. "There's an entrance on the roof."

I focus on the faint light coming out of the top of the roof. That must be where the trapdoor is hidden. With great effort, I force myself up the ladder and on the roof, only to drop down into the house like a sack of potatoes.

"Kevin!," Clara yells. "A-Are you okay!?"

"Yeah...I'm fine...just tired," I reply.

"Come on," Clara nervously says as she puts me on my feet. "Let's get you to bed."


	16. A Familiar Face - Chapter 16

_Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes  
__And save these questions for another day  
__I think I know what you've been asking me  
I think you know what I've been trying to say  
I promise I would never leave you  
And you should always know  
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are  
I never will be far away_

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep  
And still so many things I want to say  
Remember all the songs you sang for me  
When we went sailing on an Emerald Bay  
And like a boat out on the ocean  
I'm rocking you to sleep  
The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart  
You'll always be a part of me _

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream  
And dream how wonderful your life will be  
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullabye  
Then in your heart, there will always be a part of me  
Someday we'll all be gone, but lullabyes go on and on  
They never die, that's how you and I will die..._

The last few words of the song manage to squeeze out of my throat. Its been hurting ever since we came here, which was a bad idea. The energy we spent on our trip here means no trips to the towns to scavenge for food. So now what? Out of energy. Out of hope. Out of our minds, trying to figure out what to do. Well, the best I could think of is sit here and sing. Clara's taken a more direct approach, guarding the front of the house outside. At least the elements aren't a problem anymore, as the fortress around us seems to be holding out. But the real problem now is food. Ever since I got here, I couldn't help but to look for some sort of morsel.  
You can blame that on the journey here. Anyway, if I were to die of hunger or a bullet to the torso, the bullet one would be much quicker.

"Get out!," Clara yells viciously.

After hearing that, I quickly scramble to my feet and run out to Clara, despite the grumbling in my stomach.

"Woah, I'm just-"

"I said GET OUT!," Clara bellows as she points her gun at him.

"Look," the stranger starts. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this area was occupied."

The stranger turns and takes one glance at me.

"Mei?," he says.

"How do you know my name?," I ask loudly.

He takes off his hood and reveals his face, to what seems like a very familiar boy.

"Edmund?," I think. "My classmate?"

"Mei, buddy!," Edmund proclaims. "Its so good to see you!"

"Heh-heh...its good to see you too," I say in a monotone voice.

"Who's this hottie?," Edmund says as he points to Clara.

"She's-"

"I am none of your damn business!," Clara growls.

"Geez, okay," Edmund says as he jumps back a little.

"We..we can talk inside," I insist.

I open the door to let Edmund in.

"This asshole isn't staying anywhere except outside," Clara nudges.

"He might have food," I whisper.

...

"I hate it when you're right."

* * *

There were two choices: to leave him or not to leave him. Well, judging by the numerous amounts of handguns hanging from his belt, we decided to let him stay with us until we find food again. After all, he might be the only person who can find food for us.

"And this is your room," I gesture.

"Oh wow, thanks," Edmund gratefully says.

"Good night," I say as I walk off to Clara's room.

"Good night," Edmund faintly says.

I sit on Clara's bed, with my hands covering my forehead. "Edmund...Edmund...," I think desperately. "Haven't I seen you before?"  
And I know I have. He was one of my old school friends before the apocalypse happened. Whats bothering me is what happened after. That memory about him must have been crowed by the memories of my parents and Clara.

Clara walks in with her arms crossed.

"Douche," Clara mumbles as she looks behind her.

"Oh come on, he's not that bad," I say.

"Kevin, he took your room!," Clara snaps.

"Would you spare a room for some food?," I question.

...

"Sigh...I just...I don't really trust him, that's all," Clara says, looking guilty. "We only let him in 4 hours ago, with all of our stuff..."

"Clara, I knew him since 6th grade," I reassure. "Don't worry."

"Its my job to worry about you," Clara says more lovingly than angrily.

"You're right," I admit. "I'll keep watch for tonight to see if he steals our stuff."

"No," Clara firmly says. "I'll do it. You need your rest."

"Are you sure?"

"Certain. After all, he's not that bad right?," Clara mimics.

"Oh, ha, ha," I sarcastically laugh. "Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight...Mei," Clara giggles.

I smile at her as she leaves the room.

"I bet you don't even know what that means," I talk as if she was here.


	17. The Grudge - Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey guys! Just to let you know that this story will be shown by Clara's point of view because it would be weird from Kevin's. **

I gasp for air as the rope around my neck gets tighter and tighter. I knew exactly what to do when someones choking you, but know my brain has frozen, trying to hold on for its dear life.

"Ed...mund," I wheeze.

Who knew it could be this quiet when Edmund's strangling me from the back. With great pain, I fit my hand between the rope and my neck, giving me an extra 10 seconds on what to do. At the corner of my eye, I notice the glint of my pistol on a table. I instinctively reach for it with an outstretched hand.

I think I'm going to pass out, but not before my finger touches the trigger.

_Bang!_

I wasn't trying to kill him, but I was trying to draw attention to him.

"Clever little girl," Edmund sneers.

"Fuck...you," I manage to say.

"You think you know me? Huh?," Edmund growls angrily. "After all I've been through?!"

"AAAAHH!"

Edmund instantly lets go of me and falls to the ground, with blood dripping from his shoulders. He lands on his chest, revealing the knife in his back.

"Mei...," I happily inhale, still recovering from the strangling.

"Clara," Mei says with a worried face. "A-are you okay?"

"Let's not worry about me for now," I say while looking at the still-alive body.

"You...you took everything from me, Mei," Edmund pants.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Mei retaliates.

"Remember March?," Edmund grunts as he leans on the table.

...

"N-no...that was...that was an accident," Mei worriedly whimpers.

I notice Edmund's hand reaching for the pistol that I shot earlier.

"NO!," I yell as I run towards Mei.

_Bang! Bang!  
_

I drop to the ground.  
The world around me stops.  
Everything is blurry from the gunshot.  
But I can hear.

"If they die...," a voice says. "Then you die with them."

* * *

I wake up with tears and sweat dripping from my head, dousing the bed. It was just a nightmare, thankfully. I get up and quickly scan the bed for the warmth of Mei.

"Mei?," I whimper on the brink of tears. "MEI?!"

I jump out of my bed and search the house for anyone. Not even Edmund is home. But one thing is for sure though.

There's no weapon in sight.

**A/N: Oooohhh! A cliffhanger! Yeah...but now I feel like a jerk for the whole "And then I woke up" scene. 17 chapters, folks. Hopefully it'll go until 20 or 25. Anyway, leave a review...blah, blah, blah and thanks for reading. I'm gonna go work on chapter 18 now. Goodbye and good night!**


	18. The Enemy Of My Enemy - Chapter 18

I slam to a halt on the wall, only to fall down back onto the ground. Blood dripping from everywhere, from the punches that Edmund has thrown to protect our equipment. Yes, our equipment. He ran off with our stuff but now he has me to deal with.

"Arrgh...," I say as I persist in dying. "Give..me back...my stuff..."

"Why?," Edmund confidently says. "This equipment will make me rich."

"NO!," I yell as I throw myself to him.

I ram his head down onto the ground, taking me down with him. Swiftly, I grip his throat with both hands as he gasps desperately for air. With all of my might, I continue to tighten the grip on his neck.

"Grrgghh...," he cries.

In the background, I hear a button being pressed. My eyes widen as I look at Edmund's hand on a detonator.

_Boom! _

Immediately, my body gets thrown of his and starts flying horizontally to crash into nowhere. But I can only react for a millisecond before everything goes black.

* * *

I grab whatever I can and bust through the door to search for Mei. While I'm running, I list down all of the possible places he could have gone. Where? Out here I can barely see, yet there's no clues in sight. I hurriedly look left and right down the streets to look for any sort of clue. Maybe he ran off to chase Edmund? Maybe Mei killed him and is coming back? All of these thoughts compile on my head as I try to figure out where Mei went.

_Boom!_

"An explosion? This must be my lucky day," I think as I run towards it.

* * *

I wake up in a panicked state, surrounded by glass, bricks and scorched items. Only one thing is on my mind: killing Edmund. He definitely didn't die in that blast though, as I can see equipment scattered around the war-zone. My pistol there. Clara's knife here. Needless to say, I pick up whatever I can find, and wander towards the blood-stained trail. Probably the blood of Edmunds, as I remember slashing and stabbing him with a large piece of glass. But I'm in no state to fight either, as Edmund has used my weapons against me. I slowly walk with my knife in hand, passing a blur of fire, wood and other things scattered in the explosion. But its not long before I find the bastard, lying down on his back pulling the trigger on an empty gun.

"There he is," I think angrily but calmly.

I walk up to him to stab him.

"Go ahead...do it..," Edmund pants quietly. "You'll be dead in a few hours anyway..."

"But I can't die with you in this world," I tiredly say as I bring up my knife.

In one swift motion, I stab him, expecting a mess of blood. But instead I'm greeted to a quick block, followed by a kick in the stomach, knocking me back-first on the pavement. I look up grimly to see Edmund holding my knife in the air to stab me.

And so it starts.

I'm tired and hurt, but my body refuses to give up, as it dodged the knife and got up. I instantly run to a nearby table for cover, probably thrown by the explosion. I'm hopeless, but this is the best that I can think of right now, under all of the pressure.

"Come out Mei...," Edmund creepily laughs. "I'm going to skin you alive for what you did to my parents."

"What?!," I quickly snap with my back against the table."W-What are y-you talking about?"

"You don't remember?!," Edmund fiercely yells. "You killed them in your hands!"

"Edmund!," a feminine voice gasps.

"Clara?," I think.

She can't be here...I put her in danger. This is all of my fault.

I can't help but peek over the table to see Clara in Edmund's arms, with a knife centimeters away from her throat.

"NO!," I shriek.

"STAY BACK MEI!," Edmund yells. "Or else I'll cut the girl's throat!"

I reluctantly obey his orders, as Clara's struggling in his arms trying to get out. There's nothing I can do other than to look at the girl I love being held hostage by a boy I despise.

"Good bye Mei," is all I can hear from Edmund's mouth before he pulls out something yellow, and shoots me.

_Bang!_

"Taser...," I think before I dwell into painful slumber.


	19. The Silenced Sister - Chapter 19

_It was just like any other day. The sun gleaming, the electricity motor humming and the zombies banging on the fence that separated our cabin from the grey jungle outside. But every day was special when Pearl was around, my older sister. After all, she was the reason why I stayed alive. She taught me how to use a gun. She showed me what to do and what not to do. Apart from being the nuisance she was, she was pretty much all that I had left, when the zombies have taken everything else. But I knew today was horrible. Today marked the death of a loved sibling._

* * *

_"Baby bruv," I hear in my ear. "Time to get up."_

_"Just five more minutes...," I whine drowsily. _

_"Remember?," Pearl whispers sweetly to me. "Today's the day."_

_"Oh yeah," I say while getting up. _

_We've been talking about this for the past week or so. To burn down a building to attract attention to it. Not only does this stop the zombies from coming to us, but it gives us a chance to reinforce the fence without a monster trying to bite us. Its a carefully laid out plan, which half of it is done by me. Well, at least there's some incentive to do it. Pearl said that she'll give me blueberries if I finish the job. It is my favorite food after all..._

_I get dressed and groomed quickly to meet Pearl outside, holding a red gasoline tank. It must be for the flames that we're going to cause about 4 miles ahead of our cabin. It seems impossible with the zombies surrounding our home, day and night, never giving up. Luckily, the dark, damp sewers never fail us. _

_"After you," Pearl insists as she points to the manhole. _

_"Eeeww..gross," I say while climbing down the ladder to the sewers. _

_"Would you rather get your head chomped on by zombies?," Pearl laughs. _

_"Sigh...good point," I admit. "Which way genius?" _

_"Keep walking north for 20 minutes," Pearl says. "Then you can get some fresh air."_

_**20 Minutes Later...**_

_"Remember, be sure to douse everything in oil," Pearl whispers as she points to the abandoned building. _

_"Alright," I whisper back. "Wish me luck."_

_I sneak over to the building, gasoline in one hand and a knife in the other. You can never be sure when there's 10 zombies in front of you. Luckily, they don't hear the dousing and splashing of the oil hitting the ground. After a long douse here and there, I feel the tank getting lighter, a good indicator that I should light the match. I glance at Pearl, in the bushes to give her the thumbs up. She gestures back to light it. _

_"For blueberries," I think happily as I drop the lit match. _

_"Get out of there!," I think to myself. I run over to Pearl, knowing that my loud footsteps would be engulfed be the loud crackling of the huge flame. With a huge grin on my face, I squat next to Pearl in the bushes. _

_"I did-"_

_Aaaahhh!_

_We both snap our heads to the source of the scream. It sounded like multiple voices inside the building. It was my fault...I should.._

_I hesitantly sprint over to the orange death trap, to save the people that I accidentally put in danger. _

_"What are you doing?!," Pearl worriedly yells. _

_"There's someone in there," I say. "Someone needs to help."_

_I run inside the burning building, pushing the obstacles out of my way to get them out. I'm determined because if they die, this will be on my head forever. "They can't be far," I think looking around myself. Eventually I find them, two unconscious adults lying on their back. _

_"No...," I say while checking their pulse. _

_Their pulse is weak, but they're still alive. Barely, because I can see cuts and bruises on them. I drag both of them at once over to the emergency exit, which has been blocked by a pillar. _

_"Oh no," I think as the flames begin to get closer to me._

_The emergency exit gets freed by Pearl, pushing the pillar up to allow us to escape. _

_"GO!, she yells. _

_"What about-"_

_"There's no time, just GO!"  
_

_I obey her commands and limp over to the door and out of the building with two unconscious people in my arms. But they're not what I'm worried about, as the building suddenly topples over. _

_With Pearl inside it. _

_"NO!," I cry heartbroken._

_No..._

_She can't be dead._

_Shes my sister._

_With no more fuel left to eat, the flames finally get lower. It allows me to see Pearl holding on her torso, about to faint. I quickly run over to help her. _

_"Pearl!," I whimper. "No..no..don't worry...I-I'm getting you out of this."_

_"Kevin..it hurts," Pearl says gripping on my hand. _

_"No, no, no you can't die... y-you're my sister.."_

_"Listen to m-me...," Pearl exhales tiredly. _

_"W-W-What is it?," I choke._

_"Stay alive...for me," Pearl cries as she exhales her final breath._

_"PEARL!," I yell as I cry on her. "Pearl...please...don't leave me..."_

_I lay there with tears blurring my vision until the building starts to collapse on me, forcing me to run to the two unconscious people. I can't bear myself to look at Pearl's body being toppled with construction ruins. I look down to notice that I'm gripping the person, with my knife in my left hand. They seem to be dead though. I look up to see a child in the distance staring at me, surrounded by zombies. I wonder where he came from. But that is not what bothers me. _

_The zombies approaching the ruins force me to run back home in tears, after the tragic death of my beloved sister. _

_No..._

_Please tell me this is a dream..._


	20. Road To Clara - Chapter 20

The first thing that comes to my mind is how much my head hurts. I massage the left side of my head, the same spot that Edmund threw punches at. Wait, Edmund. Where is he? I quickly come to my senses and get off the concrete. Confused, disorientated and scared. It would be at this moment that Clara would calm me down by kissing me. But here I am, in the scorched ruins with no-one to hold. Why? Why did he have to take Clara? Its all my fault...the trust, the authority to let Edmund into our house was purely my fault.

I look awkwardly look around me, and shiver at the sight of a zombie walking towards me. With only an empty handgun, I run where-ever my legs take me, despite the headache. If a group of raiders would've attacked me, my chances of survival are slim, as I'm stripped of supplies. But I don't care about me. I care about Clara.

Forgetting what to do, I run over to a nearby barn, with zombies on my tail. I barge through the barn gate and instantly grab anything that has a metal glint on it. Ammo, a compass and a flare is what I could salvage in less than 5 seconds. My legs cease to stop running, as the 5 zombies sprinting towards me is not favorable. The pitter-patter of my feet is all that I can hear while the sun inevitably touches the horizon. Its getting dark, but out here in the fields, shelter is not an option. Especially when there's zombies constantly chasing you. I look back to when I met my first zombies. The look on my face defined the moment when I lost Clara. Shocked. Scared. Sinister. Like something just took over a human to make it hunger for flesh. That's another one of my fears. Having no control over your own body, and forcefully killing someone you love. I did see it happen to my parents...

My legs hurt. I can't keep running like this. But I can't shoot the zombies behind me either, as the darkness has eliminated my ability to see, explaining the amount of tripping over that I've been doing. "What is that?," I think as I look to the light. There, I can see it. I can clearly see the shine of a torch in the distance. Without my logical brain thinking, I run towards it, like moths to a lamp.

"HELP!," I yell loudly as I light my flare.

I can clearly see two raiders with assault rifles and tac-lights, under the glow of my red flare. The ear-piercing roar of multiple gunshots send me on laying on my side, with hands on my head. Suddenly, the zombies cease to exist by a shot to the head. "Huh," I think gladly. "I guess I was right. I look up to see a raider with a sub-machine gun pointed at my head.

"Stay down," he growls.

"Bag him," another says fiercely. "He'll be worth a lot of money."

The final thing I see is a car before a bag gets put over my head, along with cuffs on my hand. Although I can't see, I can feel that they're taking whats left of my supplies and dumping me in the trunk of a car. That hum and vibration tells it all. I'm in a car, being sold to someone. Just like Clara.

"Almost got us killed, this stupid kid," a raider groans. "We spent more ammo than we'll be receiving."

"Don't worry," another voice laughs. "He'll be worth a crate of ammo."

Like the usual kid I am, I break out of my handcuffs using a pin that I took out my flare. Its to see where these assholes are taking me. Probably to a settlement, as they mentioned "sold" a couple of times. What do they do? Sell us as slaves for money? "Well that won't be happening," I think as I shut my eyes.


	21. Memories - Chapter 21

The sun's rays and the cold air wake me up. Still inside the van, laying on my back. I prop myself on my elbow, forgetting that there are 2 raiders in the front seats. But judging by the city noise outside, I'm guessing that I won't need them. I swiftly stab their necks with a knife I found to loot their corpses. The bags and supplies in the van would last me for about a month. But a week is all I need to save Clara and kill Edmund. Yet I still don't even know where I am. A small town, filled with people and the streets lined with shops. It all seems very melancholy, as I can't spot a well built house anywhere. Shacks made out of metal, wood and fences is what I can see from the van's window. "I'm not here for sight-seeing," I think stupidly as I put on the raiders bag. "I'm in a hurry." With caution, I open the van door with the bodies under the seats. I walk outside and join the crowd, looking suspicious as the blood stains my clothes. Where on Earth could I find Clara? Only those who trade for slaves would know. The commotion outside makes it hard for me to concentrate, combined with the headache from Edmund. I curiously peep over the crowd and gasp at the sight of people getting sold.

"All right, all right," the trader yells. "We got some fine deals today. 50 for the man to my right. And 100 for the young girl to my left.

No.

Its Clara.

Her face peeps up, and her eyes lock with mine. Suddenly, my heart skips a beat. The look on her face..astonished..desperate. Its all I can see before she gets dragged away by the neck. I don't divert her gaze, running towards her while pushing the crowd away from me.

"Clara!," I scream desperately.

"Kev-agg!"

I can barely hear her gagged cry for help beneath the wild cheers of the crowd. What was a simple scream turns into a loud, shout for my loved one.

"CLARA!," I scream with my arm outstretched towards her.

"Stop," a security guard says. "Only slaves and personnel are permitted beyond this point."

In one motion, I stab the guard in the neck and run towards Clara. My eyes start to water as three more guards wrestle me to the ground. Everything now seems like a blur. Like I want to die. But instead i rip the guards off of me and start running to no-where. What I can see through my blurred vision is a forest surrounded by signs that I can't quite read. But I don't care anymore. What's the point if Clara's not around?  
Clara...  
Al this time I've been running away from her..  
But why now? I don't have the energy or the strength to rescue Clara.

_Thump!_

i run into a zombie that I proceed to stab multiple times to relieve my anger. I collapse onto the forest floor along with the zombie and start crying. A mixture of blood, sweat and more blood start pouring the ground, with some tears as well. I wish Clara was here. None of this would've happened if this wasn't for me.

"Clara...," I cry on the ground. "Where are you...?"

* * *

"Mei...where are you?"

I continue to walk with the gag on my mouth. He must have put it on after he saw me crying out for Mei. I don't know what to do anymore. I saw Mei get beaten to the ground, right before we parted. Which is why I need to save him. I strangle the guard using the handcuff chains while ramming him into another guard. The man chokes and gags for air, before he slowly starts to die. I strip him of his keys and gun, un-handcuff myself and start running with my gun in hand.

"What the-"

The mans words gets reduced to a cough, thanks to the work of my knife. I drag him around the corner and make my way towards the exit. And for once, I see daylight, blinding my vision for a second. No more distractions. Lets find Mei.

I sneak around the crowd and into the forest. This, I think, was where Mei ran off to, screaming for me. A forest, in a ruined town, in the apocalypse. What a place for two children. I spot blood trails towards the path, probably the work of Mei. As I get closer, I hear crying and sniffing getting louder as I walk.  
Oh no.  
Mei is crying and sweating, leaned against a tree while pulling the trigger on an empty gun. Towards him.

"MEI!," I yell happily while hugging him.

"Leave me alone!," Mei screams. "Whats the point of living anymore?"

"Mei...its me..Clara," I say while holding him.

"Clara, Pearl, Ivan..I've lost so many people...it's my fault now..," he cries as he pulls his hair.

"Mei," I say. "Can you please look at me?"

He looks up and I kiss him passionately.

"W-Who are you?," he stutters as he breaks away from the kiss.

"I'm Clara," I say. "Who are you?"

"I'm...I'm..I don't know," Mei says. "I feel like I lost someone today. A close companion."

"Who did you lose?," I ask.

"Clara..Pearl..who knows anymore."

"Maybe he's been hit in the head," I think.

"Come on, let's get you to a safe place," I say as I help him to his feet.

"Thanks, but who are you?," Mei says.

"I'm Clara, and you're Mei."


End file.
